


Meant to be

by Mix Stitch (Synph)



Category: DCU
Genre: Asexuality, Engagement, F/F, F/M, Family, Future Fic, Happy Ending, Weddings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-27
Updated: 2014-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-26 23:37:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/971628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Synph/pseuds/Mix%20Stitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>With their second attempt at a wedding coming up fast, Cass and Stephanie try to tie up loose ends and gather all their family together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One - Saturday

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kajainthesky](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kajainthesky/gifts).



> This is part one of a pretty massive commission for the utter sweetheart known as kajainthesky. It’s a multi-part sequel to _Night by night_ that deals with their wedding and the week leading up to it as well as Cass and Steph’s relationships with their extended family.
> 
> In this story, Cass is a panromantic asexual and Stephanie usually doesn't do labels for herself (but she's explained things to her mother by saying that she's bisexual).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The different worries of different mothers.

Gotham City’s Chinatown is one of Cass’s favorite places in the world.

Walking through the narrow, twisting streets is a lot like coming home for her and it’s taken her  _years_  to understand that feeling. It’s taken Cass forever to realize that she likes the feeling of belonging that comes from looking like the people around her; the people that switch between different Chinese dialects with bits of city slang throughout.

Until she opens her mouth (or doesn’t, in her case), Cass is one of them. And even afterwards, sometimes she still gets a gentle pat on the hand from an elder or a quick hug from whatever child she’s talking to.

Gotham’s Chinatown is nice.

It’s safe enough now that the gangs have moved into legitimate protection businesses, and Cass feels as though it makes the perfect neutral ground to meet her mother for talk of things that aren’t related to violence and vigilantes. And if she gets to eat good food made by a gray-haired auntie that pats her hair and tells her that she needs to visit more… Well that just makes the crosstown trip even more special.

~

Cass’s mother, Sandra Wu-San, is already at the restaurant when Cass walks in off the street.

Cass’s hair is a damp mess from the rain outside and it falls against the back of her neck where the collar of her dark purple shirt stops. Her sneakers squeak with a wet, squelching noise that reminds Cass of darker, more disgusting things for a second before those thoughts are put firmly away.

In contrast, Sandra looks comfortable and well put together from a corner booth overlooking the busy street in front of the restaurant’s massive main window. Even with streaks of silver in her hair, the older woman is still striking enough to make traffic slow to a crawl as people crane their next to look at her through the window.

“Mother,” Cass calls out. She smiles at Sandra when the older woman looks up from a menu and bestows a small smile upon her in return. The hostess (that aforementioned auntie) makes room for Cass to pass and she walks through the cluttered tables on her way to her mother with a little bounce in her step. “You’re early.”

Sandra smiles, white teeth flashing. The color of her lipstick matches the red of her blouse and Cass has a brief moment to wish that she cared more about that sort of thing. She hasn’t been a little girl in a long time, maybe never, but sometimes when she meets with her mother, she starts to think things.

"Check your watch, Cassandra," Sandra says as the hostess hovers just off to the side of their booth. "You’re five minutes late."

Cass grins at her mother.

"Sorry, I don’t wear a watch," she says in a cheerful tone while holding out her arms for her mother to see their bareness. It’s the truth. In over ten years of being a hero in her own right, Cass can’t remember the last time she wore a watch around one of her wrists. She waits for Sandra to make a face at her (the obligatory "isn’t my daughter so silly" face that makes Cass feel like giggling to herself despite her age) and then reaches for the second menu set on top of the table.

They sit in silence for a few moments. Cass is busy with looking over the menu even though she’s been here often enough that she can pick out her favorite foods from the spindly characters printed in black ink. She doesn’t speak until she’s sure of what she wants and the hostess is closer to them.

Sandra orders first, speaking to the hostess in rapid-fire Cantonese and then smiling once she finishes. The auntie turns to Cass next, smiling as though Cass is a child instead of a grown woman in her prime.

"Are you ready to order," she asks.

Cass dips her head in a nod then picks through the menu as fast as she can. No matter how hard she studies and no matter how much work she’s put into learning more than enough of the standard Chinese dialect to hold a conversation, she’s still shaky. Shaky enough that near the end of it when Cass goes to order her drink and dessert, she simply gives up on speaking for the moment and points at the characters that represent the little fried cakes and plum wine that she likes.

The auntie (who has known Cass in one form or the other for the better part of the past seven years) simply smiles and takes their menus without commenting on Cass’s issues with language.

Sandra on the other hand, is a mother. She’s Cass’s mother and that seems to make her mouth a little loose when it comes to serious conversations.

"You’ve gotten better at speaking," she says with a smile. "I remember the first time we came here: you didn’t even recognize half the characters." The expression on Sandra’s face is one of fondness and she reaches across the table to pat Cass’s hand gently. "I’m proud of you."

Cass dips her head briefly, feeling a pressure in her chest for how— how _maternal_  Sandra has been these past few years.

"Be proud of Steph while you’re at it," she says, turning the conversation towards her partner in a manner that is far from stealthy or subtle. "She took Chinese as her language requirement in college and insisted that I sit in on the class with her. Without her, I’d still be struggling."

The mention of Stephanie Brown makes Sandra’s mouth thin with a frown. That same frown is smoothed away into careful neutrality a moment later, but Cass doesn’t forget it. She can’t forget it.

"Mother, I—" Sandra shakes her head.

"You didn’t come here to talk about your girlfriend, did you?" Sandra takes Cass’s silence as agreement, but when she opens her mouth to change the conversation, Cass stops her.

"We’re getting married," Cass says and it sounds weird somehow. She shakes her head, frowning a bit when the damp end of her ponytail slides over her neck. Then she pushes on. "Steph and I are getting married at the end of the week. I know it’s short notice, but we’d both like you to be there."

"Why?" Sandra goes back to frowning at Cass. "Tell me why."

"Why  _what_ ,” Cass says in response, feeling frustrated as she looks into her mother’s dark eyes only to see confusion and some kind of sadness on her face. “Why am I getting married? Why is it Stephanie? Why is it so soon? Why  _what_?”

Cass’s voice rises at that last word, lifting until she’s almost  _shouting_  at her mother. Only the knowledge that she isn’t like this usually, grounds her again.

Cass settles back in the booth and crosses her arms over her chest. “I love her, Mother, I—”

"I know," Sandra says and the words seem louder than Cass’s previous bout of yelling. Sandra folds her hands atop the table and offers Cass a different smile, a newer one. It’s fragile around the edges and weak, but it’s  _real_. “I know that you two love each other, but—” Sandra sighs and reaches for a glass of water near her side of the table. She takes a careful sip through a straw and then returns her attention to her daughter. “I— Are you sure about this, Cassandra?”

"Of course I am," she says with a firm nod of her head. There’s no hesitation in Cass’s answer. "Steph and I are as good as married. We’ve had a life together for years. We’re good for each other and— and all we need now is an over the top celebration to celebrate that." Cass reaches out and takes one of her mother’s hands in both of hers. "You’ll come won’t you?"

"Of course I will," Sandra says in a voice that sounds suspiciously clogged with tears. "I only want what’s best for you, Cassandra. I know… I know things could have been so different between us, but I  _do_  want you to be happy.”

Cass squeezes her mother’s hand and smiles at full wattage.

"I am."

~

"I wish you had pushed the wedding back a little further," Crystal Brown says as she watches her daughter flip through the pages of a massive wedding magazine.

"Why would I do that," Stephanie asks without looking up from her magazine. "We already have everything set up for the wedding and everyone has RSVP’d. Pushing it back would be a waste of time and money, Ma." Finally, she puts the magazine down with the flapping sound of rustling pages audible. Stephanie frowns at her mom when she realizes—

"Don’t tell me that you’re still mad about my hair."

"You had such lovely, long hair," Crystal says without any shame to speak of. "It was so long and blonde. Steph, sweetie, it was—" Stephanie cuts her mother off mid-sentence.

"It was a liability," she says in a sharp tone. "There’s only so much hair pulling that I can take from patients before it starts to get annoying. And you try cleaning vomit out of your hair on a regular basis. It’s not fun."

Crystal laughs softly.

"I see your point," she says. "I had to go through my fair share of those nights when I was working downtown. But how on earth are you going to clip your veil on without hair?"

"I have hair," Stephanie says sharply, fingers twitching as though she wants to reach up and push her fingers through the short tufts of pale yellow hair that barely cover her scalp. "It’s just… not that much of it. Besides, who says that  _I’m_ the one wearing a dress and veil? I could be wearing a tux.” When Crystal gives her a  _look_ , Stephanie stifles a giggle. “Don’t look at me like that, Ma!”

Crystal finds herself smiling back at her bright-eyed daughter.

"You keep forgetting that I know you, Stephanie," she says. "You’ve left papers and magazines all over your old room here and it’s not much of a stretch to figure out that the dresses circled in purple ink are ones you’re interested in." Crystal picks up her formerly abandoned glass of apple cider and takes a long sip from the champagne flute. "I do hope Cass keeps you from going with that frilly white one with the puffy sleeves."

Stephanie smiles over at her mom, bright and wide and full of happiness.

"I’ll make a deal with you, Ma," she offers. "If you quit it with the hair comments, you can come with us to the dress shop tomorrow afternoon." Stephanie takes a sip from her own glass of cider then grins at her mom. "Of course, we do get to make the final decision on what we wear to our wedding even if you and Selina don’t like it."

"Selina?"

"Selina Kyle," Stephanie supplies helpfully. "She’s Bruce’s girlfriend. They’ve been on and off for years and she’s gone and decided that the dresses for the wedding are going to be her gift to us."

"That’s a lot of money," Crystal says carefully as her face falls. Stephanie gets it instantly, what Crystal is trying so hard not to say.

"Yeah," Stephanie says with a sigh. "It is. Between that and Bruce footing the bill for the whole wedding, I’m starting to feel a little poor." She laughs for a second and then corrects herself. "I’m sorry —poorer, I mean. They mean well though and it’s nice, not having to put every single cent we have to the wedding."

Crystal nods her head and makes a sound of agreement.

"It would have taken you two  _years_  to make enough to do a wedding on that scale,” she says finally. “Cass’s family is good to you both. You’re lucky to have found them.”

Stephanie smiles.

"Yeah, I really am."


	2. Chapter Two - Sunday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite knowing Bruce and Selina very well by now, Stephanie has a bad case of the nerves as she and Cass wait for them to arrive at the restaurant Selina has picked out for brunch.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is basically the dress Stephanie is wearing in this chapter (but with purple stripes). I just thought it was a cute detail to add/focus on.

When normal people wake up on the weekends and need food, what they do is pile eggs and toast and everything edible left in the fridge on a plate and plop down on the couch in front of the TV.

When rich people want a meal on the weekends, they wear diamonds to brunch.

There's more to it of course, but Stephanie is still stuck on the fact that Selina Kyle handed her a pair of diamond earrings and a matching necklace to go with the soft purple and white maxi-dress that Stephanie had bought just for brunch. Selina makes it natural, makes it look as though that's something that's not way out of the norm -- as though all potential mother-in-laws are dripping in diamonds that they can just pass around like candy.

"You look nice," Cass says as she watches Stephanie toy with the necklace around her neck for the second time in several minutes. "I know you're nervous, but don't be. Selina likes you. Remember?"

Cass presses close until they're almost sharing the same chair and wraps one arm around Stephanie's waist in a tight hug.  In the back of the restaurant and half hidden behind a bank of beautiful ferns, hardly anyone can see them to look twice at them as they go about their business. The semblance of privacy is... nice.

Aside from an increase of muttering when they had come in earlier, everyone seems simply too busy to bother with them. That will change in a few minutes when Bruce and Selina make it past the crush of paparazzi standing in front of the famous Gotham hotspot, but for now, no one looks twice at Cass as she and Stephanie hug in a quiet corner of the restaurant.

"I should have worn something more formal," Stephanie says in a low voice, slumping slightly in her chair. "What if I'm not dressed nice enough for this place?" With a surreptitious wave of her hand, Stephanie gestures at the people dressed in expensive clothing. "Even the waiters are wearing more expensive clothing than I am and _they're_ not wearing diamonds."

Stephanie knows when she's whining. She's known Selina and Bruce since she was a teenager and between them, they have enough funds to buy and sell all of Gotham twice over. Of course, Stephanie knows that they won't think less of her for wearing something off the rack, but --

Nerves are nerves.

Cass smiles and squeezes Stephanie in another hug.

"You look beautiful," Cass says, voice dropping low as she presses close. "Remember how much you liked the dress when you bought it?  You couldn't stop spinning around in the dressing room." Cass's laughter is soft and sweet and she starts to rub tiny circles over Stephanie's stomach through her dress. "You love that dress."

Sighing softly, Stephanie brushes one hand over the front of her dress.

"I do," she admits, glancing down at her lap with a faint smile curving up her lips. "It's a really nice dress and it _was_ on sale..."

Cass's answering smile is brighter than the diamonds around Stephanie's throat.

"It's a great dress," she says, leaning in so that she can press a quick kiss to the side of Stephanie's face.

Cass reaches up to flick the tips of her fingers over where a thread of diamonds hangs from Stephanie's earlobes and laughs at the scrunched up smile that she gets in response. "And you look good in diamonds."

Brushing her fingers back over the fluffy fuzz of Stephanie's short blonde hair, Cass grins and then tucks her right leg underneath her left so that she can get comfortable in the spindly black chair.

"You should wear them everywhere."

Stephanie's laughter sounds more like a snort noise than anything else and she grins right back at Cass, heedless of the way that some of the nearby patrons eye them askance for it. "Yeah right," she says with a fond roll of her eyes. "You know how fast they'd get stolen."

"It was a thought," Cass says with a tender look in her dark eyes. "You'll wear them on our wedding day won't you?"

"They can count as my 'something borrowed'," Stephanie says, nodding her head.

Cass's eyes narrow. "Didn't Selina give them to you?"

Stephanie's gaze skitters to the side. "I can't keep them," she says firmly. "I'm giving them back to her the second the reception's done on Saturday. I'd feel bad --"

"Don't do that," Cass replies, cutting Stephanie off with a stubborn jut to her chin. "Steph -- Selina _bought_ those for you. She hasn't bought jewelry in _years_ as far as I can tell. This is her way of showing you that she approves."

Sighing, Stephanie pushes one of her hands through her very short hair and sends the strands into disarray. "Between the dress and the diamonds, I feel bad about how much of our wedding we're not paying for."

Cass reaches for Stephanie's free hand. "I know."

"It sucks," Stephanie mutters, frowning as she notices the mild frown on Cass's face.

It's her turn to kiss Cass and Stephanie does so, leaning in to steal a sweet kiss that makes her wish they were back home where they could cuddle on the couch in private. Before Stephanie can work up the nerve to tell Cass that they should cancel and just go back home, the sound of chaos coming from outside reaches their ears.

Rising up onto her knees, Cass cranes her neck so that she can peer over the top of the ferns keeping them hidden from view of the main part of the restaurant.

"They're here," Cass says with an excited wiggle that reminds Stephanie of when they were fumbling teenagers and when everything was exciting. Cass's short black bob swings in front of her face, but doesn't obscure the happy expression that settles on her face. "I can see the reporters from here so we have a few minutes until Bruce gets them through the crowd."

Stephanie curls her fingers in one of the belt loops of Cass's close-fitting black trousers and tugs her fiancé down to sit beside her.

"Remind me why I'm not supposed to be nervous again," Stephanie says with a plaintive note in her voice as she grabs for one of Cass's soft hands.

"You've known them both for years and you all _like_ each other," Cass says as Stephanie leans into her body and a shuddering sigh makes her shoulders slump. "This is just -- it's just a formality. We have to show our faces in public or else we'll have paparazzi camped out in front of our place for _weeks_ and how will we get anything done then?"

Stephanie reaches for one of the cloth napkins on the table and starts to wind it around her fingers until the amethysts on her engagement ring are hidden behind the thick cloth.

"I love you," Stephanie says as the shouting from the front of the restaurant reaches deafening new heights before it falls quiet once the doors close. "I just -- I don't know why I'm so damn nervous about this."

Cass links their fingers together and presses a kiss to Stephanie's head. "It'll be okay. We've come so far already. A little brunch won't kill us."

~

Brunch is... good.

Cass and Bruce don't talk much, but Selina draws Stephanie into a series of conversations that more than makes up for that. They talk about everything they can, from heavy things Lex Luthor's continued attempts at a superhero registration act to updates in the world of fashion.

"Have another mimosa," Selina says, already reaching for the pitcher so that she can splash liquid up to the rim of Stephanie's champagne glass. The mixture of orange juice and champagne sloshes over the top of the glass, leaving Stephanie's fingers feeling sticky. "Aren't they amazing?"

This is Stephanie's third mimosa and she's inclined to agree.

Her nervousness is gone, instead replaced with a sort of lingering warmth that's got less to do with the alcohol in her system than it does how comfortable it is to sit here with family. Taking a sip of her drink, Stephanie washes away the last taste of their first course and then smiles.

"They're perfect," she admits, smiling as Cass inches close until their thighs touch. "Do you come here often?" Small talk is easy enough and with Selina, everything just _seems_ important.

Selina glances at where Bruce is busy doing something on a smartphone that seems too small for his huge hands and the smile on her face softens. "We come here once every few months," Selina replies. "It's easier than trying to make Bruce clear his schedule for a proper date at night."

Bruce has the grace to flush a dull red around his ears. When he looks up at Selina though, there's a tenderness in his gaze that makes Stephanie duck her own head as her cheeks warm with embarrassment. "I try," Bruce mutters, setting his phone down on the table so that he can hold hands with Selina.

"I know you do," Selina says, smiling warmly. "Now eat something. I'm sure the world will continue to turn without you directing everything from your little phone." One minute, Bruce's smartphone is on the table between him and Cass and in the next, it disappears into the voluminous sleeves of Selina's dark blue dress.

When Bruce frowns at her, Selina merely laughs at him and directs his attention to the mostly full plate in front of him. "You can have your phone back when I think you're not going to use it for work."

Cass giggles and then, so does Stephanie.

Looking pleased with herself, Selina sits back in her chair and smiles. "Now, what time should I have Colin pick you two up tonight? We have the store booked for the entire evening if we need it and I'm sure that that I can help you both pick out something lovely to wear."

Stephanie glances over at Cass. "Um..."

"Do you mind getting Steph's mom too?" Cass asks in a quiet voice. "I know it's last minute, but --"

Before Cass can start apologizing, Selina smiles and reaches across the table to pat her hand. "It's fine," she says. Then she looks at Stephanie.

 "Of course your mother can come. She's your family so she might as well be part of ours too."


	3. Chapter Three - Monday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cass and Steph's bridal shower -- planned by Nell and Barbara and attended by the Titans (Teen and otherwise) -- in the manor winds up being crashed by Damian and Titus the Second

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been over a year since I updated this and I honestly thought I was giving it up but I'm not. I can't do that. So even if it takes me another year, I'm going to get this done and I'm going to get Cass and Steph married.

Cass likes bridal showers.

Sure, she's only been to one (and it's her own at that), but there's something about the feeling of community that comes from having all of her and Stephanie's friends crowded in Wayne Manor's massive downstairs den that makes Cass feel warm and downright fuzzy. Of course, the fact that she and Stephanie have already made their way through a very expensive bottle of champagne doesn't hurt at all.

Cass tilts to the side, resting her cheek on Stephanie's shoulder where her loose white shirt has slipped to the side to reveal freckle-covered skin and a still slick burn scar. Rubbing her face against Stephanie's arm nets Cass a high-pitched giggle and Stephanie shifts around so that she can sling one arm around Cass's shoulders and haul her in close.

The room around them erupts in a chorus of "Awws" and cheers as their friends and family members make cow-eyed faces at them and lift their glasses in celebration.

"Hey," Stephanie calls out in a voice that's loud and filled with warmth. "Quit playing around and make with the party stuff. I know we're a cute couple, but that doesn't mean you guys can skimp on the fun."

Stephanie pats Cass's arm and then gestures at Nell with the hand still holding a half-empty glass of sparkling cider, managing not to slosh any over the rim as she smiles at the newest member of their little family. "Come on, Nellie. Aren't we supposed to play 'pin the tail on the donkey' at these things?"

Sitting cattycorner from them in her wheelchair, Barbara doesn't bother to hide the affectionate roll of her green eyes behind her glasses.

"You're not four," Barbara says with a wry curl of her mouth that puts Cass in mind of the head nurse at the hospital where Stephanie works. In the next moment however, that twist softens into a smile and Barbara tilts her head back so that she can glance over at where Nell has a bundle of posters tucked under one arm.

"We're grown women, Stephanie. We pin capes on superheroes instead."

The laughter that sweeps the room at Barbara's comment makes Cass giggle in response and nudge her cheek against Stephanie's shoulder. Pulling herself away from the warmth of Stephanie's body, Cass pats down her hair before looking up at Nell with a smile on her face.

"Do you have one with Bruce on it?"

Nell grins and wiggles a rolled up poster at Cass.

"Capes and symbols for him," she says, holding the poster just out of reach when Cass makes a half-hearted attempt to snag it out of the air. "But don't think it's going to be _that_ easy. Everyone's getting a blindfold -- I even have a lead-lined one for Kara to use -- and I'm going to spin you all around so you're too dizzy to cheat."

*

If asked later, Steph probably won't be able to detail every single part of their bridal shower.

She can remember the games, the fun, and the ridiculous amounts of food that Barbara's roommate Alysia kept pushing their way, but it's all in a hazy sort of blur. It's the kind of blur that comes from sharing glasses of champagne with Cass and not eating enough until _after_ the liquor's done and Steph's head is already swimming.

One moment though, that Steph knows that she'll remember with startling clarity, is when Damian crashes the shower halfway through their games. They're playing "Two Truths and a Lie" and munching on the second or third round of tiny canapés when it happens.

Alysia is almost through with her last statement, the words, "When I was six, my mom took me parasailing," falling lightly from her lips as everyone tries to figure out which of her words were truths and which one was the lie. She pauses, gifting them with a smile that seems sharp, but before anyone can toss out their guesses, the den's double doors blow open hard enough that they rattle the paintings on the wall.

Everyone jumps, fingers going towards weapons that they don't actually have on them, but when they see Damian and Titus the Second straining at his leash with his tail wagging hard enough to appear as a blur, the tension leeches out of the room. Everyone in the room knows Damian (how could they not?), and Titus the Second makes frequent appearances on various superhero social media sites. For all that Damian is still a bit of a terror, everyone in the den seems happy enough to see him.

The key word being "enough".

"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Barbara asks, eyes narrowing as she watches Titus the Second practically _drag_ Damian through the seating spaced loosely around the den in a semicircle, tail wagging hard enough that the length of his black tail is almost a blur. "In Boston?"

"I had a break."

Damian manages to make a one-armed shrug look graceful, almost innocent. Too bad that almost everyone in the room with them can read body language and everyone that can't read that, can pick up on scents or thoughts.

Steph giggles, feeling her face flush as she catches the sharp, almost measuring look that Barbara directs at Damian.

"You shouldn't have done that," she says softly, fingers tapping lightly at the bend of Cass's elbow as she stares wide-eyed at the scene playing out in front of them dead center of their bridal shower. Lying to Barbara has never been something that goes well. For anyone.

Damian repeats himself, voice sharp.

"I swear, I _had_ a break from school," he says, eyes darting from Steph to Barbara and back again.

Barbara crosses her arms over her chest and gives Damian the sort of narrow-eyed look that usually leads to criminals quaking in their boots before her. In front of her, Damian only quakes a little. Barely even noticeable to anyone that's not Steph and that hadn't spent their teens practically making a career out of trying not to get caught lying to Barbara.

"A break? On a Monday?" Barbara's eyebrows lift with her query. "More like you _took_ a break. Damian, what did we tell you about skipping class?"

Damian attempts another shrug.

"Not to do it?" But he quickly backpedals, offering Barbara a smile that seems faintly weak. "I've got my work for the week and I told my professors I had a family emergency. I'll just get someone to write me a doctor's note or something before I go back this weekend."

"Damian," Barbara says, the note in her voice one of fond exasperation. "You -- you did all that for the wedding?"

Shrugging, Damian glances at where Cass and Steph are sitting two to a chair. "Well, yeah," he says, dragging the words out as one eyebrow quirks. "I only have one sister…Well, two now."

It's probably the nicest thing that Damian has said to Cass and Steph. At least, it seems that way to the two women (thanks to the alcohol, no doubt).

But Barbara's eyes narrow as a wicked smirk settles on her face. "Are you sure you're here for Cass or because Tiffany Fox is the flower girl and you wanted to see her before the wedding?"

Damian huffs, gaze shifting to the side as a faint flush steals across his brown skin. "Shut _up_!"

Beside Damian, Titus the Second lets out one of his deep barks, panting afterward and looking up at the people in the room with a dopey look on his doggy face. For a supposed guard dog, Titus the Second is probably the sweetest and friendliest dog that Stephanie has ever met. He knocks his head against Damian's leg and then starts wagging his tail even harder when Damian reaches down and starts to scratch behind his ears. Honestly, the sight of Damian softening as Titus begs for more scratches is at least half of why Stephanie says what she does in the next moment.

"Let him stay," Stephanie says, smiling. "It's cute that the kid has a crush and besides, he did bring Titus to see us." She ignores the cutting glare that Damian directs her way, smiling at her fiancé as Cass giggles and lists to the side a bit thanks to the champagne. They both turn to where Barbara is seated with Alysia on the floor beside her. "If he gets bad grades because of this you can yell at both of us, but for now, let's just pretend that this is his wedding gift to us."

Before Barbara can answer, Damian scoffs. "As if I don't already have better gifts than that already prepared."

At the mention of gifts, Cass perks up, leaning forward with her dark eyes wide. "Gifts?"

Damian's lips curve with a rare, genuine smile and he nods. "Of course," he murmurs with a roll of his narrow eyes. "Do you really think I'd show up at my sisters' bridal shower without gifts?"

Stephanie huffs out laughter against the side of Cass's head, trying to hide her tipsy amusement in her fiancé's sleek hair.

"Oh yeah," she says a second later, her voice filled with just enough challenge to make Damian bristle a bit. "Then where are they?"

Damian fires off a narrow-eyed glare in Stephanie's direction that dissolves into an eye roll a moment later. He sticks one hand into his pocket and then pulls out two pieces of paper. He gently nudges Titus aside so that he can press them into Stephanie's hands.

It takes Stephanie a minute to realize what she's holding, but when she does --

"Plane tickets? Damian, you got us plane tickets for our shower?" Stephanie shares a look with Cass. "To _Paris_? That's a bit --"

"You didn't have to," Cass says, speaking up when Stephanie falters mid-sentence. "But thank you." She squeezes one of Stephanie's hands and then beams up at her little brother. "Now you should stay and have cake. Tam and Tiffany will be here any minute and you don't want to miss that."

When Damian scowls deeply and crosses his arms over his chest, the room erupts with laughter. But there's no missing how, despite his complaints, Damian doesn't even try to move towards the door to leave.


End file.
